5 Essential Home Maintenance Jobs
You’ll be more than aware that your house requires maintenance from time to time. Depending on the age of your home, you might need to do more or less work to keep it in tip top condition, but there are some jobs that are a must for every house regardless of age or location.
We’re all guilty of putting off DIY and maintenance jobs here and there. Skipping mowing the lawn for one week isn’t the end of the world and won’t cost you a small fortune to fix, but there are some jobs that, if left, will spiral into something much bigger and more expensive. More often than not, they will be problems that can be avoided with some simple maintenance throughout the year.
To help you avoid a big bill and a headache, here are five essential home maintenance jobs you need to keep on top of.
- Ventilation
This is more of a habit than maintenance, but it will require some keen checking to keep on top of. Poor ventilation is the number one cause of condensation in homes. Not only does the black mold and patches of damp on the walls look unsightly, but it can have an adverse effect on your health, too. If you or a member of your household has eczema or asthma, black mold can really irritate the issue and make it worse. This isn’t to mention the damage it can cause to your home’s walls, ceilings and window panes (where mold typically gathers).
To avoid the issue, make sure you’re maintaining your home by regularly opening your vents and windows – even in winter! This will allow fresh air to flow through and excess moisture in the room to exit the house, therefore keeping it mold free. You will also want to make sure that extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom(s) are in full working order and replace them immediately if not.
This will prevent condensation in your loft, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room and other areas that might be susceptible to damp.
- Guttering
How often do you think about your guttering? The answer is probably not very often, if at all. It’s easy to overlook, but your gutters can have a big impact on your house and, if not properly maintained, you could find yourself facing a rather hefty bill for an issue like penetrating damp.
To avoid this, simply clear your gutters and make sure they’re in full working order every other month or so, perhaps more frequently in autumn and winter to account for falling leaves and ice.
- Alarms
Checking alarms is a basic safety feature that should be done every week, but so few people actually do it. Once a week, go around your home and test your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. It’s a five minute job that could literally save your life, so it’s worth the inconvenience.
- Bleed Radiators
For those with central heating, it’s essential that at least once a year you make the effort to bleed every radiator in your home. Bleeding radiators is the process of releasing trapped air within the radiator. To identify if a radiator needs bleeding, turn your central heating on and touch it. If it’s cold at the top but warm at the bottom, that’s a sign it needs bleeding. If you don’t bleed your radiators regularly, they won’t warm up properly which could push you to turn the heating up even more. Not only will this not work, but it will see you spending a lot more money on your energy bills than is necessary.
- Exterior Checks
The final essential maintenance job you should be doing is to check the exterior of your home on a regular basis. You’ll want to look out for things like cracks in the brickwork or woodwork, issues with windows and doors, and spotting any loose roof tiles. All of these issues are not only a safety risk, but they can cause extensive damage if not tackled immediately. By checking regularly, you’ll be best placed to identify an issue as it occurs which will reduce any risks and costs later down the line.
Summary
So, when are you going to get cracking on these five jobs?
